BABY
by thunderbird5
Summary: The day before Alan was scheduled to return to Tracy Island after doing a supplies run, he got a call from his father to return home immediately, though he didn't tell Alan why. Did something happen to a member of his family?


Thanks to TB's LMC for all the help with this story.

**Disclaimer:** How I wish the boys were mine. But no, they belong to someone else.

Ten months ago, Tin Tin and I were married. The wedding was everything we'd both hoped for, including no International Rescue callouts happening right in the middle! We went to New York for our honeymoon as tourists, for a change, rather than because we were doing Tracy Corporation work. We had an amazing time, but I don't think I ever want to see a Broadway show again.

When we returned, I did my rotation on _Thunderbird Five_. It was two months later, while I was on _Five_ again, that Tin Tin told me she was pregnant. Elated? Oh, you bet I was. I endured endless ribbing from my brothers, mostly centered around being "the man," but other than learning what morning sickness does to my already-tempermental wife, and having to deal with Tin Tin and Grandma's baby decorating whirlwind, things were pretty normal.

Just last week, a few days after returning from another spell on _Five_, I headed to Brisbane to pick up some supplies. The day before I was scheduled to return to Tracy Island I got a call from my father to come home immediately, though he refused to tell me why. Worried, I pushed Tracy One to its limits to get back to the island. As soon as I walked into the lounge I found my entire family waiting for me. They were all smiling like a bunch of mad men.

Not understanding what was going on I asked, "What gives?"

Getting up from his chair behind the desk, my father walked around and stopped right in front of me with a grin on his face that made him look years younger. "Alan, why don't you take a guess as to why we've called you home?"

I didn't understand anything; what were they all up to? "Well, it isn't my birthday today, so that's not the answer."

Looking around the room I realized that my wife wasn't there to greet me. "Where's Tin Tin?"

Everyone was looking at each other as if they were wondering when I would realize something, but "What?"

I saw my grandmother sitting on the couch with something blue in her lap and asked, "What is that?"

Lifting the item in question, Grandma answered, "Well, just a baby blanket…"

Looking to where my father was still standing near his desk, back to where the rest of my brothers were, then back at my grandmother I found myself putting the pieces of the puzzle together. All the smiling faces and the baby blanket? "No way, no way!"

I was running down the hall before I even realized what I was doing. It was still two weeks before the baby's due date!

I could hear my brothers following behind me, laughing as they ran to catch up with me. They sounded like a bunch of school boys who had just pulled a good prank on a teacher.

Coming to a stop in front of the infirmary door, I stood frozen to the spot. I couldn't go in just yet. It felt so unreal to me, I mean, yes, of course she was pregnant, and yes, I'm smart enough to know that means a baby comes after around nine months, but...I just...I guess it only just then hit me that instead of a father-to-be, I was now...a father. Wow.

My brothers were standing behind me, silently waiting for me to make the first move. Father caught up to us to and was now standing slightly behind me. "Go on in, Daddy."

It felt so strange to hear my dad say that to me. Daddy.

Taking a breath, I opened the door and stepped into the infirmary. I saw Tin Tin sitting in one of the beds holding a bundle in her arms. Looking up from the bundle, she smiled at me. "Come over here, Alan. Come and see our baby boy."

Everything felt surreal to me, as if I was dreaming. I moved to stand beside her and looked down at the bundle on her lap. There he was, so small and so cute. His eyes were open and he was looking in my direction.

Tin Tin shifted over to the other side of the bed and patted the spot next to her. "Come sit next to me."

Getting onto the bed next to my wife, I once again looked at the little one as he moved his tiny hands out of the swaddling cloth. "He's so beautiful."

Tin Tin smiled and moved the bundle over to my lap. "He looks just like you, Alan."

Grandma entered and made her way over to where we were sitting on the bed; the rest of my family filed in after her. Grandma cooed at the baby as she handed me the completed blanket. I placed it over my son, letting his hands rest on the top of it. "He looks even more beautiful with your blanket, Grandma, thank you."

I was about to ask Tin Tin how and when she had given birth when she answered before my mouth even opened. "It happened early this morning when I ended up in pain on our bathroom floor. Your brothers came to my rescue when I called for help."

Looking to where my brothers were standing watching us, I smiled at them. "Thanks, guys."

My eyes returned to my son. "Have you thought about a name for him yet, Tin Tin?" It was something we'd tossed around, and Tin Tin even had a list made. But I'd always told her I'd go with whatever she desired...and last I knew, she hadn't yet made up her mind.

Stroking the side of our son's face, she smiled. "Well, I thought about naming him after you, Alan Junior, what do you think?"

Letting my hand rest against my son's much tinier one, I thought about it for a long moment. That was when I felt his little hand closing inside of my own. Looking down to where our hands met I knew that Alan Junior was the name I wanted for my little boy. "I love it."

Pulling Tin Tin close, I hugged her as hard as I dared. This baby of ours would take some getting used to since he'd decided to make his entrance into the world early, but even so, he made me a happy man that day. I'd given my father his first grandchild. Tin Tin had given her father the same. And I'd made uncles of my older brothers before they'd even gotten round to marrying.

Closing my own hand around my son's, I smiled at him. "I love you, my little Alan."


End file.
